Death's Revenge
by Sorvik
Summary: This is my response to the challenge issued by Reptilia28.  I have thrown my own twists and turns that I have yet to seen in anyone else's response to this challenge.  H/Hr from the start, Dumb/weasley/assorted bashing included.  Evil H/Hr later
1. Prologue

AN:

This is my response to the challenge issued by Reptilia28. I have thrown my own twists and turns that I have yet to seen in anyone else's response to this challenge. Harry won't be in this journey alone, and he won't be nice. Expect people to die, expect torture and blood. Lemon scenes will be few and far considering when I intend Harry to return. Please enjoy.

As a general rule of thumb, I do not own Harry Potter or any characters, places, or things relating to Harry Potter. The story expressed here is of my own creation and may or may not have been influenced by other works of art. Although I will not take something without asking, tweaking and changing completely will occur. I will not be posting the challenge rules in every chapter, so here they are.

A side note, I have no beta currently, so if anyone is experienced in this, please contact me. My updates will not be regular, but they will be there. I am a single father with a full time job, so computer typing time is limited.

**CHALLENGE:**

Challenge issued by "Reptilia28" - Originally on Portkey (dot) org verbatim:

A funny little challenge I just came up with. It's a comical twist on the time-travel category.

**STORYLINE:**

*****Harry is killed at 17 during a fight with Voldemort. He's sent to his Death's office (explained later) and finds out that this isn't the first time that this has happened.

*****Harry's Death (who can have a human name) is mad at his arrival. Apparently, people dying before their time is a black mark on the various Deaths' records, and Harry is getting perilously close to getting this particular one fired.

*****When Harry asks what was supposed to have happened, Death goes off on a rant saying how he was supposed to have killed Voldemort, found his soul mate ("Some Granger girl...") and lived to be a centennial age. But since Harry keeps getting into life-threatening situations for one reason or another, he keeps dying before that happens. Harry is surprised about the soul mate part.

*Death gives Harry a paper to sign that allows him to retain his memories (the previous times, he wasn't given this option for some reason). Harry is deposited to a previous time of the writer's choosing.

*****Eventually, Harry gets it right. He kills Voldemort, gets the girl, and lives to a ripe old age of whatever. And Death doesn't get fired.

**REQUIREMENTS:**

*****Harry had to have died at least three times before this one.

*****The memory keeping contract must be included.

*****Death must refer to Hermione as "some Granger girl" when Harry's soul mate turns up in his rant.

*****Obviously, must be H/Hr.

*****Have fun.

**OPTIONAL:**

*****Dumbledore's manipulations can be a factor in Harry's premature demises.

Death's Revenge

Prologue: Dark Princess

In 1926 when Cassiopeia Black was confirmed a squib she was disowned and left for dead in the muggle world. She was found by a passing muggle by the name of Richard Granger. Records are few and far in between but she was adopted into the family. In her mind she always kept the magical world near the surface, to wait and find the right time for revenge. She would not forget what her family had done to her. She told no one, the truth.

She grew into a wonderful woman but never married. In the late 1940s and early 1950s she saw the magical world encroaching in on the muggle world. Taking the chance she wanted to know what was happening. In the summer of 1952 she walked into the Leaky Caldron hoping to find a newspaper and get out.

Fate as it is wasn't kind. She was seen by a member of her old family, and she was the spitting image of her mother. Orion Black immediately stunned her and took her to his Master. By the winter she was back in the muggle world. She had been beaten and used in almost every way by the Dark Lord.

She found out what she wanted to know, the hard way. She was now with child she was sure, she contacted her adopted sister for help. Reporting it as a beating and rape the police she decided to care for the child. He or she may be the child of the Dark Lord, but he would never know. She would raise her child to become a beacon of light. If magical, her child would be taught the truth and would destroy the Dark Lord.

The very next summer her son was born healthy. She named him Richard Granger, after the man who saved her life so many years ago. Raising him to stories of witches and wizards he became very entranced at a young age. His mother claimed that anything was possible, and he should keep an open mind.

With his mother's tutoring in his early years, and the excellent schools he attended he quickly rose to the top of his classes. In his early teens he had seen a homeless man in the streets of London during a school trip. The man had the most awful smile. His teeth that weren't missing were black with decay. The man looked at him and saw recognition! "Marius?" Richard quickly moved to the other side of his tour group. The wrong name aside, he had unknowingly found his calling as a dentist.

At home that night his mother had asked how the trip to Downing Street had been. He told her of everything he saw, and observed. The prime minister would be up for reelection soon and everything was geared towards the kids being awestruck so they would tell their parents. Richard was raised to see through these deceptions and manipulations. His mother dropped her utensils when he mentioned the name the homeless man called him. She assured him it was just a dead relative, her own biological brother in fact. He was the spitting image of the man but with his father's brown hair. She explained to him in the best muggle terms how her family couldn't raise her so they abandoned her in the streets at eleven. Seeing how much this hurt he changed the subject and never spoke of it again.

He eventually grew up and went to school to fix teeth. The image of that man's mouth never left his subconscious, even after he long forgot about the man. Going to college he met his 'soul mate' in the form of Libby Prince. She too was going to school with the ambition of starting her own business. She was an orphan that had done her very best to rise above her 'station'. She was very studious, so much that he quickly realized he would not be the top contender for his class scores; she was just too far ahead.

They dated their last two years of school and married in the spring of 1978. On the 17th of January, 1979, a snow storm hit their area cutting travel for a couple days and leaving heavy fog in its wake. That night they cuddled in front of the fire and decided it was time to start trying for a family.

Almost eight months to the day Libby went into premature labor. A runaway trolley hit their small car causing the early labor to occur. On September 19th, 1979 Hermione Jean Granger was born. Her grandmother Cassiopeia was in the waiting room and felt it at the moment of birth; a very strong magical burst. Her eyes widened and she ran to the room just to see the doctor leaving the birthing room. He nodded her in and she entered to see her son holding his daughter.

She was delighted that although born early her granddaughter was healthy. Due to the accident this would be her son's only child, but she was magical, and would know the truth one day. She made a secret trip to Gringotts and opened a trust vault for her new granddaughter. In her father's haste to disown her he never took away her trust vault. Taking all the galleons from her vault she made Hermione one of the richest three day olds, as most pureblood families didn't bother with child vaults till one or two.

Eighteen years later Hermione screamed her heart out as the cutting curse sped behind the killing curse towards the man that she loved. Just moments ago before this last fight she found out a secret that had affected her, she was doused with love potion! Helping the wounded before Tom Riddle called them out of the castle she saw her own blood from a cut on her hand light up to a detection spell she had cast, that led to her more extensive spell work to find out the truth.

As her beloved fell, cut down by the man she didn't know was her grandfather, something in her snapped. Dropping all pretence to Latin or English she started casting spells in the serpent tongue, Parseltongue. She didn't even know she was doing it, but the wide eyes of Voldemort showed his fear as the strong barrage of spells came towards him. Throwing up a shield he did his best to deflect, until heard the spell he didn't want to hear, _Avada Kedavra_, although spoken in Parseltongue, it was just as effective.

The green light struck the most feared Dark Lord down in the same spot he had killed the boy-who-lived. Silence rang in that great hall of Hogwarts, until a single spell was shouted, "_Reducto_," and her world went black. The last thought going through her head, "I will kill you Ronald Weasley for this!"

Thank you for reading, please review.


	2. Chapter 1: Afterlife

AN: Wow, I am amazed by the responses so far and it has only been a few hours. Over 140 hits in just 4 hours? Thank you everyone, I wanted to get this out before going to sleep so enjoy. It is a bit short, but setting up for a long chapter 2, thank you again!

**Chapter 1: Afterlife**

Harry opened his eyes and immediately knew something was off. Last he could remember was the battle at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley had just blasted the evil bitch from hell into the wall breaking her neck on impact. Then he squared off against Tom Riddle, also known to most of the world as Lord Voldemort.

Spells were flying, then that green light shot from Tom's wand. Harry knew he couldn't survive another killing curse, but according to Dumbledore that wand belonged to him. So he sent the most basic of hexes, the disarming spell.

Looking back though, he now realized just how stupid that was. Using a first year spell against the killing curse? Why type of hair brained logic was that? The two spells collided in mid air and reflected back towards Tom. But then there was that second silver light…

A cutting curse… Voldemort had shot a second spell at him! That wasn't right! He was the hero, he was supposed to win! "Harry Potter!" a voice drew him from his thoughts. Looking towards the window now that he took a look around it looked much like a muggle doctor's office. He had only seen it once… now that it thought about it this looked like the same one! "HARRY POTTER!" the voice shouted again.

Harry looked around realizing he was the only one in the room. He stood and went to the window. As he drew closer he could see the… whatever it was behind the window. No eyes, skull visible, black leathery wings came from the feminine looking body. She… it gave him a clipboard. "Complete the questionnaire; your council will be with you shortly."

He nodded and sat back down. The quill in his hand felt familiar, but muggle paper and clipboard? Shaking his head at the inconsistencies, he started reading the paper.

"_Death Record – Harry James Potter"_

_Date of Birth?_

_Date of Death? (Guess if you don't know)_

_Residence?_

_Last year completed in school?_

_Mortal Enemies?_

_Favorite Color?_

_Boxers or Briefs?_

_White or Dark meat?_

_Breast or Leg?_

_Who is your soulmate?_

_Do you pick your nose?_

_Do you pick your friend's nose?_

_Would you kill to protect the one you love?_

Thinking most of the questions were jokes he just went with it. At number ten he hesitated then put down who he thought it was. The moment he was done the clipboard and quill vanished, that now annoying voice sounded again, "Harry Potter!"

He stood and went to the window again. This time it pointed to the door which swung open. Following the corridor he kept walking what felt like hours. No doors with the exception of the one at the end that seemed to never get closer. Getting frustrated and losing his temper his magic flared and he was suddenly in front of the door.

The door swung open slowly revealing a grey room. Quite literally everything was grey, except the flame of the candles, they were black. Sitting at the desk was some creature he couldn't name. It looked humanish… Black leathery wings jetted out from its back, and he couldn't concern any details except the eyes, they were black.

"Sit," the thing commanded. Not wanting to tick this thing off Harry did so. It rubbed its temple with one hand, "Why must you do this to me?" Not waiting for a response, "Six times. You have done this six times now." Its head shot up, those cold black eyes seemed to be on fire with pure black flames, "YOU ARE RUINING MY AFTERLIFE!" Harry shrank back trying to come up with a response, but the thing stood and started pacing.

Finally getting a good look at the rest of its body he could only be reminded of those comics Dudley had at one point of demons that had strangely shaped legs with a humanoid body and wings. "You are worse than any other client I have! Six times you have died so far mortal! One more and I get demoted to WASTE RETRACTION!"

"Who are you?" Harry finally got in, feeling a bit more frustrated that everything was being pinned on him, yet again.

He, Harry decided to call it a he due to the voice, sat down and sighed. "You never remember," he said more to himself, "let me introduce myself, again. I am-"

The door flew open slamming against the wall causing both Harry and the yet unknown man to jump, "BOSS, I trie-"

"Harry!" A brown-haired missile hit Harry hard. He managed to stay upright and held onto her for dear life. "I saw that spell hit you," she sobbed. "I didn't want it to be true."

"Hermione?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

She quickly stood from his grasp and looked him in the eye. There was a fire there, something he couldn't explain, it kind of excited him. "Ronald, I have no brains, Weasley." Harry's face showed his confusion. "After you fell no one moved, except me. I started casting spells faster than I could think. I just let all my pent up anger go free," she started crying again falling into his arms.

"I cast it Harry. I cast it and it worked."

"Wha-?"

"THE KILLING CURSE!" she shouted angrier more with herself than him. The outburst made him step back quickly. "I am sorry, I don't know what I am becoming," she started crying again as she collapsed to the floor.

Harry just stood there, not really sure any of this was real. "Bezoph," said the thing behind the desk out of nowhere. Harry turned to him seeing him looking over a file, "My name, I was about to introduce myself."

Harry nodded not sure he could trust his voice to work. "Why don't you and your soulmate take a seat?" Hermione took her cue to move from her position on the floor to the second chair that Harry was sure wasn't there before.

"Wait! What do you mean soulmate?" he looked at Hermione and back to Bezoph. "I thought Ginny-" he started.

"That was because of love potions Harry," Hermione interrupted. Harry was glad he was sitting, because he was sure that his head would hurt as his whole world went black… which seemed very possible while you were dead.

Thank you for reading, please review!


	3. Chapter 2: Deceit

AN: Couldn't sleep this morning, so here is chapter 2: Deceit. You start to see the truth unfold here, but don't think this is set in stone, free will is a bitch sometimes and anyone who has ever played D&D at a DM knows the players never do what you want them too.

Thank you everyone for your responses, I will be collecting and responding in the next chapter, already 1k+ hits, 50 story alerts, and 19 favorites. WOW!

Chapter 2: Deceit

Harry awoke to the most beautiful sight he could imagine, Hermione leaning over him, her hair looking like a mane around her, those lips so close… _Kiss her! Take her! Claim her! Make her YOURS!_ A strange voice sounded in his mind. He blinked and saw the concern in her face. Slowly sitting up in the chair which he now realized was a recliner much like his uncle had.

"As your soulmate was saying before you so rudely passed out," said Bezoph, the demon looking thing behind the desk. If he wasn't frowning Harry would swear he was laughing as he spoke. "you and her had been infected with love potions."

Harry grabbed his head trying to shake the cobwebs from it. "Let me get this straight, "I am dead, Hermione is dead, Ron killed her, Ginny gave me, no, both of us love potions, Hermione is my actual soulmate, and I have died six times?"

Hermione's eyes widened as it was all laid out, "That is correct Mr. Potter. However things are _NOT_ how they should be." He hissed the word 'not' enough to make Harry think he spoke Parseltongue. "I have my assistant running an errand, so let me spell out how your lives were supposed to go if that old goat meddler hadn't messed with things.

Harry, you would have been raised by Sirius. He would have taken you that night and straightened everything out with the DMLE under the truth serum. You would have been raised three doors down, and across the street from Ms. Granger here. You would have met at the age of three at the local park, and then be invited to her fifth birthday party a year later. It would be during that party that the truth would come out.

Ms. Granger senior would be in attendance. She would recognize Sirius as he looks just like his father. It would come out that Hermione is a full blood, or as close to pureblood as you can get. She is from two squib lines from pureblood families." He paused, "Any questions yet?"

Hermione sat shocked, how… "Who are my grandparents?" she asked.

"Your maternal grandmother was a woman named Elise Malfoy," at this her hand automatically sought out Harry's. "Your maternal grandfather was Cassius Prince, brother to the woman that would give birth to Severus Snape." Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to hear more, but knew she had to. She nodded, filing her family history away for later. "The only biological grandparent you know, Cassiopeia Granger nee Black was the Great-Aunt of Sirius. She although would never admit to it, was raped which resulted in your father's birth.

Now keep in mind, if events didn't unfold they way they did, you wouldn't have been born."

Hermione interrupted him, "The way you are preparing us, me. It was someone that we hate, wasn't it?" She already knew who he would say, after all, not the smartest which for nothing.

He nodded, "Yes. Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, raped your grandmother to conceive your father." Choking back a sob she opened her mouth to talk, but Harry beat her to it.

"This changes nothing. The bastard is dead as we are too." He had now found his resolve. He had been thinking about it, and the feelings he had 'felt' towards Ginny, even the 'monster' in his gut were now gone. Long suppressed feelings, something he felt in his first and second years, began to resurface. He now had an eternity with Hermione; nothing else really mattered, did it? "Can we just move on? I would like to see my parents, and Sirius."

Bezoph growled at the interruption. "I was getting to that _Potter_!" Now Harry was watching his mouth and the demon in front of him did not speak English, it was Parseltongue. "_Surprised?" _he asked continuing in the language of the snakes, "_It isn't as rare as your headmaster made you believe._" Switching back to English, "We will get to that though. As for your files your destiny was to be soul bond at the end of your first year before you faced down Voldemort while in possession of your professor. Granger, what were the words you felt like using just before Harry separated from you?"

She thought for a minute, to that time so long ago, "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things…" she trailed off. "I… it is all fuzzy. Like a haze." _(_

"That would be the spell cast on you wearing off. You said friendship and bravery, but that isn't what you were about to say, is it?"

She shook her head, "No," she replied quietly. She looked into Harry's eyes, "Love and family."

"As great as this is, it is just a bit too late," stated Bezoph dryly. "At the moment you were about to seal your bond, you were hit with a strong compulsion charm by someone who was disillusioned in the room."

"Dumbledore," growled Hermione. Her eyes lit with fire as she turned back. "I want to see him, and give him a piece of my mind."

"You will have your chance at him in due time. Right now Mrs. Potter is giving him her mind, and wand." He gave a feral grin at this that surprisingly didn't unseat Harry one bit. His mum was avenging his life; he sat up a bit straighter at that. "As for you two…" he rummaged the filed a bit and looked through them. "You were to soul bond in 92, save Ginevra Weasley and save the life of a 1200 year old basilisk in 93, capture Wormtail and free Sirius at the end of 93, move out of the Dursleys and onto the same street during the holidays of 93. Find out about your parentage from Sirius and Gringotts in the first week of 94, return to the school and start joining the houses with your new blood status for the rest of the year. Harry would participate in the tournament in 94-95 without any help from Jr. Make Voldemort run and fear for his life after his resurrection at the end. Take your seat on the Wizengamot during the summer and remove Fudge when he tried his slander campaign. You would use your memory to show the world of Tom's return and set the war against him. Umbitch, I mean… no that is what I meant, would turn to Tom, whom she had a crush on in school, and serve him within the school for a short time. Her time would end when she captured Hermione and turned her over to Malfoy Sr. for torture.

Potter would then lose all pretense, kill Umbridge for her attack on house potter, then slice off the Malfoy heir's hand and send it to Malfoy Sr. Unknown to him it had a trace on it, soon as he touched it and brought it wand up to kill Ms. Granger, by that time Mrs. Potter in the eyes of magic, but you didn't know that, Mr. Potter appeared, used The Sword of Gryffindor to sever his arm at the elbow, then both legs at the knees on the backswing. After the rescue you put a reward out on Tom Riddle's head. Five hundred thousand galleons would make him think about who he had in his room with him.

During this time you two finalized your bond and consummated your marriage. Once you found out that you were married my magic Mr. Potter put a ring on your finger," nodding at Hermione, "and made it official. The wedding was that summer after Mr. Potter's sixteenth birthday. During the summer Dumbledore died looking for the ring and Snape returned to his master at the death. Using the connection in your head you learned to search Tom's memories on his immortality and found out about the Horcrux collection. Using Tom's own memory you quickly located all but the locket which Sirius gave to you when you brought him in on the hunt. By the end of your sixth year in school you had them all gone and challenged Tom Riddle to a dual to the death on the grounds of the school.

Having so few human followers he brought all his vampires, giants, wraiths, and assortment of other dark creatures. The dual lasted no longer than thirty seconds. You had removed the Horcrux from your head the week before. It had unbound your magic and broke the seals placed on you by Dumbledore. Your magic became almost innate; it reacted to your intent as easily as you would breathe without thinking.

Showing intelligence all the non-human followers left immediately to their homes. The humans though started throwing curses at the crowd. After taking them down you both were arrested for killing 'upstanding citizens' and thrown into Azkaban. Your parents were slaughtered for 'resisting arrest' and Sirius 'fell down the stairs' breaking every bone in his body. Anyone who would speak for you two would wind up dead shortly after.

Even with the magic suppression bracelets you two continued to use magic normally in the prison. The Dementors would be in your hall, but seem to not affect either of you. In reality your magic was growing, something unheard of, as you continued to push more and more magic through the suppressors. Roughly ten years later, after you two had been forgotten you escaped from the prison, but you leveled it at the same time, destroying the dementors and people there to cover your escape. The people of Britain didn't concern themselves with the deaths of everyone, to them it was all for the better.

You started your reign of terror after that, and eventually took over the magical world. You kept the secret from muggles knowing the destruction they could reign down. Seven children later and a few hundred years, with the aid of rituals, you two moved onto the next adventure.

However due to certain people none of that came to pass," he ended the history of things that would never come.

"We turned evil?" Harry asked in a raspy voice.

"I can see that happening," Hermione said in the same quiet voice. Harry looked at her quickly, "Think about it Harry. The magical world is so backwards and stuck in the past that it would need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the current century. We would be branded 'Dark' before the first reforms were passed. If we had lost everything and everyone, could you really say we could continue to live in the blind past that Dumbledore had created?"

Thinking about what he would do to anyone that touched a hair on her head, he shook his head, "No I suppose not. I wouldn't go around killing babies, but adults who were too corrupt would be fair game."

"And that attitude is why we plan on sending you two back." Both of their heads snapped to Bezoph. "Don't give me that look. We are sending you back to create chaos in the magical world, bring them and the mundane worlds together and move the Human race past the simple minds they have forms."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, starting to think he was crazy.

"In the close to ten thousand years of evolution since the human race was created you have come very little into your full capabilities. You struggle for food, land, power. Yet you should be past this planet and into space by now. Every other race out there has completed this within five thousand. Humans are starting to lack and the powers that be are not impressed. So we have selected you two. You will first take care of the problems in the magical world, then slowly show the mundane what they don't see, then move the human race into its next stage of evolution."

Their heads almost couldn't comprehend it, the powers that be wanted them to fix the world? They looked at each other and had their silent conversation, "What do we need to do?"

"First things first, you will return to the moment you should have bonded. You will do so as both of you will be wearing pendants to prevent mind control of any form. You will do what you can to blend in as your age while moving towards the control of the magical world. Once Voldemort and Dumbledore are dead your task will be easier.

You will need to learn to protect your minds from outside forces. So you will be going to meet Carniv, someone here who is an expert on the subject. Once ready you both will go back, and change this world for the better. Understand?"

They nodded as the door opened and the assistant took them elsewhere. A shadow formed behind Bezoph, "Well?" asked the deep raspy voice.

"They will do as we want. They think they are going to save the human race, when they start using the dark magic we place in front of them, they will lose control. We failed with Tom Riddle but we have never tried this with a soul bonded couple. Once they taste the power we give them, they will fall into the same pattern. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Thank you for reading, please review.


	4. Chapter 3: Mirrors

**Chapter 3: Mirrors**

**AN**: Thank you everyone for the reviews and favs lists. Sorry this has taken so long, life throws curve balls at the wrong times. To answer a few questions, "plot holes" are there on purpose. It will be explained later, not left open I promise.

Many people pointed out that I jumped in the monologue about Sirius raising him to the Dursley's. It will be explained and expanded upon. I plan for this book to last through year four. Book 2 will go through year seven. Depending on how things are will depend if I continue past that. This plot hole won't stay too long, and will be explained by the end of their third year, I promise that.

As for jumpy chapters, I am still looking for a Beta, so if anyone is interested please let me know.

One reviewer asked about the name Marius, according to HP Lexicon, Marius was a squib within the Black family tree. I have switched HIS role with that of Cassiopeia Black. In this story Marius was the wizard and Cassiopeia was the squib. The wizard who recognized Richard Granger did so because he looked a lot like his uncle Marius.

If anyone is going to try and match me word for word to the books please don't, I don't have the old books anymore and don't intend to get them. Consider the timeline AU from this point on. Had to reload chapter, seems the page breaks were taken out. Hopefully it reads a bit easier with **BOLD** instead. Now to the story.

**-Afterlife Training-**

With no need to eat or sleep the two destined absorbed everything the demon of possession taught them. With possession being Carniv's specialty, he was able to teach them things about protecting their minds and invading others' minds that no book on Earth would contain. Within a short time their greater mental capacity started showing them inconsistencies within their training.

Yes they were given everything needed, long forgotten magic tomes to absorb, mental and magical training not seen since the times of the Titans and ancient mages of Greece. However something was off; Harry sensed it first with Hermione not long after. They made a silent agreement to not talk about it until they returned.

Their ability to communicate without words also seemed to become easier. Just by a look or glance they could tell what the other was thinking. Books on bonds available to them said nothing about a soul-bonded couple being able to do this, so it was something different.

Hermione found a few curses she would try out on some of her least favorite people when they got back. Harry on the other hand found out why his father loved transfiguration. With just a flick of his wand he could transfigure a person's blood to acid, killing them from the inside with no outward signs of struggle.

They had also noticed a presence that seemed to be around them. After meeting his parents and Sirius for a short time Harry had felt unfulfilled. Something was wrong, and neither of them could put their fingers on it.

Once the knowledge was absorbed they spent time with someone who refused to give his name. He drilled them on target practice. It didn't matter that they could cast every spell not known to man; if they couldn't hit their intended target they would be dead.

Hermione noticed a change in Harry, a determination to see his targets die. It was almost like a thirst within her to see him become violent with his targets. It was during one session when she suddenly found herself in front of the target he was aiming at. "Your enemy has your intended, what do you do?"

He hesitated, that was enough for her neck to be sliced open. Her eyes widened as the blood poured out. His eyes changed, a black cloud covered them removing all white and color from his eyes. She felt herself flying into the air and the target exploded into a fine mist. Just as suddenly she was in his arms and the 'man' that was training them found himself against the wall bleeding from every hole, visible or not.

"_Touch her again and you will know pain for all eternity_!" he snarled in Parseltongue. That was another thing; they had started talking in the serpent tongue more and more often. She found it flowed so much better than English did.

That was their last lesson. They now found themselves sitting in the office again across from Bezoph. "Well, now it is time to say farewell. You two know when you wish to return?"

They nodded, "We want to return to the first chance at a bond."

"Excellent, you will retain all your knowledge but none of your magic can return with you. You will need to find ways to build your magic quickly, use the knowledge you have. My assistant will take you two to the portal that will lead you to your destination."

The door opened, just before leaving Hermione turned, "Will you be contacting us to let us know our progress on changing things?"

"No, we immortals are not allowed in your realm."

She nodded and left with Harry and the assistant. She led them to a black obsidian room with a glowing vortex. The assistant spoke, "Think clearly of when you wish to return and step through."

Just before reaching the vortex Hermione turned, "What is your name?"

Out of all their time there they had yet to learn her name. She smiled, "Persephone." She gave a hard look at the girls eyes who widened at hearing that, "That is the only help I can give you." With that Hermione thought clearly of the potion room from their first year and dragged Harry through who had yet to make the connection.

**-Hogwarts 1992 – Potions Trap-**

There was no earth shattering thunder, no special fireworks, nothing to show that two souls joined, then took over the bodies of the two minors he watched. "I'm not as good as you," said the boy. He gave a small snort. The boy was his prize, the ultimate, unknown weapon. He would give his life willingly for the magical world making the killing curse unable to be used by anyone ever again.

"Me?" the girl replied in a kind of disbelief before continuing, "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things—" He waved his wand casting the spell to get her to say what he wanted. No sense in the boy finding true love and not wanting to sac- rather give himself willing to the Greater Good. " – love and family," she finished.

He nearly fell on his face without moving! How did she break the enchantments! "I don't know what that is," he said softly.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Defeater the dark wizard Grindelwald, was getting irritated. He waved his wand in almost art-like patterns but nothing was happening that he wanted.

He looked up just in time to shield his eyes from the golden glow that erupted from the two children. Of course keeping his eyes shielded he didn't see the bubble of magic heading towards him, but he did feel it as it slammed him into the wall.

It was a good thing he had a silencing charm on him as when he awoke he groaned. He was able to come too just in time to see the Granger girl go into the flames back to get help. He watched for a moment as Harry paused at the flames before going on. "This is for you dad, hope you are proud of me," he then downed the potion and went to meet his destiny.

Dumbledore nodded, their kiss would have to be watched. It was time to make a visit to his contact in the Department of Mysteries. He used his illegal portkey to return to the entrance of the school. He strode with purpose towards the third floor. He made his magic flare about him to give off that look of an animal swooping down to save his pack. Being this late no students were out… well none that wanted to be seen. His whole effect was wasted until Professor Kitty Cat, hmm perhaps a ball of yarn for her, showed up. She looked relieved to see him, "Albus! Potter has gone after the stone and Severus says he can't find Quirrell."

"I know Minerva. My protection around the stone fell and I returned immediately. I will handle the situation, two students will return behind me. See to it that they are taken care of." Dumbledore sped off and down the trap door. His magical 'hero' effect worked perfectly when he passed Granger. The look of awe in her eyes made his night, and increased his resolve that she and Harry would still be controllable if they were truly bonded like he thought.

**-Deep in the Ministry of Magic-**

"Rookwood," stated a deep raspy voice. The wizard in question, working by himself spun his wand flying from his hand to the outstretched boney hand of his … master?

"Master?" he questioned.

"_CRUCIO_!" shouted the man. After two seconds he let up, Rookwood would never doubt after the spell this was his master. "Never question me!"

"How?" the prone wizard gasped out.

"That does not concern you. You will speak of no one about me. My followers who are not in prison will be punished for defying me. You have done well to remain hidden. I have a mission for you."

"Anything master," he groveled. He had thought these days were long over, but now it seemed it was time to return to the old ways. He would make Malfoy and the others pay for defying their lord.

"Yes, I know. You will go to the room of souls and alter the Book of Soulbonds." He was confused by these orders he had learned not to question his lord though. "You will remove all mention of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger from the book."

He was unable to engage his brain fast enough, so the words slipped from his mouth first, "A mudblood?"

"_CRUCIO_!" he shouted. Holding the spell for a full thirty seconds he released the man. Rookwood refused to cry out, but he knew he deserved that one. "She is no mudblood, but my granddaughter stolen by Dumbledore." Rookwood couldn't believe this, but his master said it was so. "The old fool will come here sometime this morning or within the next day and ask about Potter and the book. Tell him nothing about the alteration. Show him the book to keep him complacent. Do you understand me?"

"Yes master," the man replied. How he hated that curse.

"Remember Rookwood, tell no one of my return. I will seek out my followers on my own. I do not have to tell you what will happen if I become displeased."

Rookwood looked up when his master stopped talking but his master was gone. It was a testament to the truth of the encounter, only his master could get in and out of here without a single ward being tripped, or his wand making a sound as it was placed next to his head.

**-Hogwarts Mirror Room-**

Dumbledore entered the room and was immediately amazed at the destruction. The mirror which had held the stone was shattered beyond repair, the stone columns were broken and held scorch marks. Chunks of the floor were blasted apart, and the boy he was here for, was laying face up in a small pool of blood. Voldemort must have really wanted him dead to cause this much destruction.

Running his wand over the boy he quickly assessed the blood was from a cut on his back, not fatal. Several cuts and bruises, old and new, but he didn't care. The stone wasn't here, where was it? Perhaps the boy would know when he woke. Fawkes flew into the room and waited for his master. Fawkes was one of his greatest achievements, using a lost ritual to bind the phoenix to him.

The poor phoenix had no chance. At each rebirth the old man used charms to keep Fawkes's color red and gold; otherwise he would be as black as Dumbledore's heart. After one last check around the room Dumbledore held one hand up for the phoenix and held onto the boy with the other. In a flash of flame they were both gone.

**-Hogwarts Hospital Wing-**

The boy's breathing changed signifying he was returning to the waking world. It had been three days since the events in the chamber of secrets. He casually talked to the ghosts with students in earshot so that _his_ version of events would be the truth. Harry Potter had stopped Professor Quirrell from stealing an artifact on the third floor. Mentioning Voldemort would draw undue attention toward the school.

The boy blinked a few times before looking for his glasses. After putting them on and seeing the mountain of gifts at the bottom of his bed the boy's eyes widened. Dumbledore had to chuckle to himself, how else to get to a boy starved for attention but give him gifts.

"Harry," he addressed the boy as a grandparent. It was his best façade after all. The boy started stuttering and mumbling about Voldemort and Quirrell. "Harry!" he spoke with his hand up to placate the boy. "He didn't get the stone, it is ok."

"The stone!" he exclaimed. "I didn't get it from the mirror! The Flamels will die won't they?"

"When Voldemort destroyed the mirror he destroyed the stone. Nicholas has enough elixir to set his affairs in order." Caring about others before himself, selflessness, the boy was on his way to becoming a great tool! Reading the boy's thoughts was easy. He saw the whole encounter starting with the kiss which turned out to just be a peck on the cheek. The confrontation with Quirrell was less impressive.

The boy's protection won him the day. Perhaps next time the boy left his cloak about some Malaclaw Venom was in order. No one should have that much natural luck. He quickly excused himself and left Harry alone.

**-Malfoy Manor-**

Lucius Malfoy had what some could consider the perfect life. He commanded the respect of his peers, held the ear of the Minister of Magic, and kept his… unsavory contacts wealthy. His wealth was a decent addition to his skills. In school he had lead the Hogwarts dueling club, of course he used his skills to make sure all mudbloods knew their place.

This is why when someone kicked Dobby, his house elf, into the room he was on his feet, a spell already leaving his wand. What he did not expect was his wand to leave his hand; the spell hit the floor, and the wand land in the boney hand of his Master.

"M- master?" he stammered. He wasn't ready for the Dark Lord to return. His life was finally on track, but his son was leaving much to be desired of the Malfoy name. According to Severus he was as loud mouthed as his cousin Sirius and just as Gryffindor.

"You dare raise your wand to me Lucius?" the Dark Lord challenged. "CRUICIO!" he shouted. The elf moved to help his master despite his fear of the Dark Lord, however he couldn't move either. The hood of the Dark Lord moved to look at the small elf. "Your elf has given you a life of luxury Lucius. That ends now." He ended the curse to Malfoy Sr. and moved his wand to the small creature.

"Avada Kedavra!" The green light struck Dobby ending his life. "Lucius, I have plans that must be put into motion to bring this world to its knees. You will learn your place at my side. Return with the book I left in your possession."

Lucius ran to his secret room. Quickly opening the door and finding the book in question he returned it to his master's hand and stayed on his knees with his face on the floor. "Very good Lucius; I would hate to have returned to find you lost it, or worse given it to someone as part of your family vengeance feud." The white haired man's mouth went suddenly dry. He didn't even feel his master's probe this time. He was even more powerful if he had picked that newly formed plot out of the deep recesses of his mind without even trying.

"M-master," Lucius stuttered out before being silenced with a raise of Voldemort's hand.

"You will have these laws pushed through Lucius. Not even the muggle loving goat man can deny these." He pulled out a long scroll. "Your instructions for the next couple months are there. If you finish what I ask of you, then you might have earned yourself the luxury of another house elf. Until then, I will be watching."

He faded from view leaving a scared Lord Malfoy behind. That wasn't apparition, and there was no sound. The Dark Lord had truly returned more powerful than he left. He unraveled the scroll and all his split second planning was gone, the first and foremost instruction was to not inform the others of the Dark Lord's return. The wheels started turning as he read the scroll, and it all came into place. "Of course she completely destroyed my son in school; she was a descendent of the Dark Lord. She will be rescued."

**-Hogwarts Potion Trap Room – Night Before-**

Harry smirked as they flattened the disillusioned headmaster. Hermione wanted to run over and kick him in the groin for his interference the first time around. Harry stopped her after casting a sleeping charm on the old man. "We need to continue, there is too much to do and not enough time."

She kissed him one more time, "Fine, but I get a free kick at the weasel." He shrugged his acceptance as they passed harmlessly through the black flames. Several may have some great illusions, but that was the best part of his trap. Someone would spend their time looking for the right potion, when no potion was needed to pass the illusion of the flames.

They passed into the room containing the mirror and Quirrell. The poor man was standing there muttering to himself. He didn't even notice the two children standing against pillars behind him until Harry cleared his throat.

"P-Pott-"

"Cut the crap, let us talk to him." Harry looked surprised by her outburst. She wasn't one to talk that way to anyone.

Quirrell looked shocked and hesitant. Harry decided to play nice, "I know you are the one that cursed my broom, you let the troll in, and you are trying to get the stone from the mirror for the Dark Lord." He paused and thought about it, "I think that about covers everything; now if you please," he said while twirling his finger.

Quirrell gave his true smirk as a raspy voice spoke, _"Let me speak to the children."_ He wanted to object, but these children were not acting like the rash Gryffindors he had taught all year. Quirrell turned and removed his purple turban. The ugly face of the Dark Lord stared at the children. _"Harry Potter! See what I hav-"_

"We really don't have time for this. The old goat man will wake up soon; we need to make things look real. I need a few cutting curses across my body. You need to be," he smirked, "vanquished."

_"You know!"_ Voldemort knew the old man would train the boy. He had acted dumb all year and played him for a fool.

"Of course I know, however the conversation we need to have will have to wait. We have a spell that will trap your essence into a piece of the mirror behind you," he said plainly.

_"What do you mean by 'piece' Potter?"_ He didn't even notice the wand drawn let alone heard a curse uttered when the mirror behind him exploded. His attention was drawn to the mudblood, no; there was something familiar about her now that he was this close. He didn't have time to think about this as the girl pointed her wand at him and spoke a string of Latin while hissing? His eyes widened as he realized what she was saying, and without time to react he felt his grip on the body he was in loosen then be ripped from him.

The mist that rose for the down corpse slammed into a round mirror piece floating behind it. The mirror that now showed the face of Voldemort before his demise floated over to Hermione. Harry smirked and kissed her. "Good luck," he said.

"I'll see you soon," and with a _crack_ she vanished. Before he could even pull his wand to start decorating the 'crime' scene another _crack_ sounded and she appeared again, this time in Black Death garb. "It is done," she said with a smile.

He kissed her soundly while tucking the gold chain down into her robe. "Potter!" shouted a voice he hadn't heard in a while. "Keep your hands off my granddaughter or I will crucio you!"

Harry laughed as she brought out the circular mirror showing Voldemort's face. "We are married old man!" The life in the Dark Lord's eyes and face showed the last several hours were good for him. They would work on their plans and bring this world to its knees. "Guess it is show time," he said as he took Hermione's arm and led back to the potion room so they could set up their stage for the goat man.

**Thank you for reading!**


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